Even the president's children need a little straightening out sometimes. And for President Obama's oldest daughter, Malia, the straightening comes by way of braces. In a recent speech Obama says that Malia is his baby but seeing how she's only 12 years old yet already 5'9", he welcomes the braces because they make her look younger.

Watch the video from ABC News and read the full article here.

Posted in Braces, Headlines

In sports, pads of every kind are used. Athletes wear shin guards, knee pads, elbow pads, shoulder pads and the list goes on. And of course then there are youth sports and the kids that play can barely breathe for all the protective gear they have on. But one thing is almost always missing - a mouth guard. Did you know that 600,000 people end up in the emergency room every year with dental injuries related to athletic activity? Estimates say that roughly 200,000 injuries are prevented in athletes that wear mouth guards and dentists estimate that between 13% and 39% of dental injuries occur while playing sports. Do you or your children play sports on a regular basis? An even better question would be when you play sports do you wear a protective mouth guard?

An article in Colgate describes a boy you got his teeth caught in a basketball net and a girl who knocked out her teeth while bowling. These weren't cases of professional sports, only recreational activities. That being said, mouth guards are for anyone who plays sports, not just professional athletes.

There are several options to choose from when looking for a mouth guard. Stock guards are the most basic guards, boil and bite fitted guards in which you boil the material and then create a custom fit by biting into the material and letting it cool or custom-fitted guards created just for you by your dentist. Of course the more custom fit the better. If you wear braces and play sports, a dentist created guard is best for safety reasons.

Ask your dentist today about custom mouth guards if you or your child plays sports. And remember that a smile is a terrible thing to waste.

Posted in Braces, Headlines

The number one way to protect your teeth (and your face and your head) on a motorcycle is - wear a helmet!

Hey it's Anastaisa with Hump Day Happenings - I'm here in sunny Orlando Florida Harley Davidson motorcycle dealership checking out a bike with heritage, if you will.

Now, Harley is all about safety. They have schools to help you learn how to drive, they have passenger awareness - there's a lot going on. So the dental hygienist in me was thinking - Do you ride safely for your teeth?

When you do ride, you want to protect your smile. You could be investing in dental implants, braces, cosmetic dentistry - anything you have going on, you want to keep healthy. How are you going to do that and enjoy the ride?

You're going to wear a helmet. Make sure the helmet covers your face, you've got a shield going on, so nothing will interfere with you and your mouth and protects the investment that you've chosen to keep it healthy.

Littleton Highlands Ranch Colorado Harley Davidson

Posted in Dental Implants, Braces, Headlines

Flossing with braces is essential for avoiding cavities, gingivitis and then even worse - periodontal disease! Signs and symptoms typically seen when your gums are not getting the attention they need are: red, swollen, receding, and uncomfortable sore gums. Many people will tell you that this is just "part of having braces" but that is not at all true.

Although treatment plans are customized for each patient, most people wear their braces for one to three years depending on the conditions that need correcting. During this time, it is more important than ever to maintain excellent oral hygiene as there are so many more places for plaque to hide. Flossing with braces can be difficult, but must be done.

Why do you need to floss? Let's just spell it out. Everyone has bacteria in their mouth. And even though that sounds disgusting, we need those bacteria to help digest food. However the bacteria can also be a harmful resident to our mouths when it gets lots of food particles and can hide in and around braces. So while bacteria are in hiding it creates plaque that attaches to your teeth and as it mixes with the sugar in our diet, creates acid. Yikes! The acid attacks tooth enamel as well as the gums likely causing irritation and infection. This can also cause cavities in unusual places, like on the front surfaces of your teeth at the edges of where your brackets are glued on.

Braces are a big investment towards a beautiful smile. Make sure you do your part to keep it beautiful AND healthy by flossing and brushing regularly!

Posted in Gum Disease, Braces, Pediatric Dentist, Headlines

Denver and the rest of the US isn't the only place on the quest for celebrity smile perfection. In the last several years China has quickly stepped up to the plate, with the number of patients wearing dental braces growing almost three times compared to numbers in the early 1990's. Also important to note is that in the early 90's patients mostly consisted of children wheras today orthodontist are seeing more and more patients with ages of 20 to 40 years old according to some researchers.

Along with the increasing popularity in China, cosmetic and aesthetic dental services has increased greatly and has begun marketing products for oral hygiene heavily as well. Analysts are predicting that it will build momentum until 2012. This prediction applies to the increasing number of Chinese who use hygiene products to improve their appearance, as well as the growing popularity of oral health.

One of the most likely significant factors of this boom in dentistry is the breakthrough of the country economically and socially. The increase in personal income for residents in China makes dental products more accessible to consumers, while government programs help improve public awareness of the benefits of good oral care according to another study.

Because of this spike in oral care, CEO of Procter & Gamble, Mr. Jaramillo says that China has now become one of the most important markets in the world. But I think we all kind of suspected that already.

Posted in Braces, Cosmetic Dentistry, Headlines